Latin America Report: The Future of Solar in Latin America

ClearSky Advisors' Mark Bissegger takes a closer look at the best solar countries in Latin America , winnowing the list down to five. Brazil is by far the largest electricity market in the region and has some of the highest electricity rates, as well as support from net metering, tax incentives, and a goal of 27 gigawatts (GW) by 2020, or 16 percent of installed capacity. Chile has pulled back its original renewable energy targets (20 percent by 2020) but still has excellent solar resources, net metering policy, and rising demand for electricity, plus recent droughts have shown a weakness in reliance on hydroelectricity. Mexico has an ambitious renewable energy target (25 percent by 2014, which will require strong policies) and highly variable electricity prices and excellent solar insolation along its West regions. Peru has a relatively mature solar market and a disparate...